'Same old Paige,' he said with a shake of his hair. 'Stil hard as nails, huh? Hard as a rock. Can't ever give me a
break.'
'You don't need a break from me. Besides, you can just
get laid whenever you want. Look, Austin,' I said when it
looked as though he meant to speak. 'We can't keep
doing this.'
'Why not?'
I studied him deliberately until I couldn't hold in the sigh
any longer and it seeped out of me like air from a nail-
punched tire. 'You know why not. Because fucking
doesn't solve every problem. And we had a lot of
doesn't solve every problem. And we had a lot of
problems.'
He crossed his arms and looked stormy. I didn't point out
the arguments we'd had about money, about religion,
about monogamy. I didn't remind him of the nights he'd
gone out for a few beers with friends and had come home
smeling of perfume and guilt, or that it didn't matter
whether he had or hadn't fucked anyone else, it was that
he was content to choose a night with his buddies over
staying home with me. I didn't bring up the times I'd said I
was studying for school when I was realy someplace else,
with someone else.
'I just want you to be happy, Austin.' I meant it.
He leaned back and frowned more fiercely. 'You want me
to be happy so you can feel better about yourself, that's
al. So you don't feel so bad about what happened.'
The truth of that stung me like a wasp, smooth-stingered
and able to jab more than once. 'I think you should go.'
Damn him, he didn't. He moved closer and cupped my
elbows in his palms so I had to uncross my arms to push
him away or let him snuggle up close. I put my hands on
him away or let him snuggle up close. I put my hands on
his chest, but didn't push. His muscles beneath the tight T-
shirt were hard and firm. He leaned, and I didn't pul away.
If he'd kissed me, I'd have been lost, but if he'd ever
thought he knew me, he proved himself wrong again. He
didn't kiss me. He spoke, instead.
'I'm your husband.'
I pushed my arms straight. His hands slid from my elbows
along my arms and fel away at my wrists. I stepped back,
my hand against his chest preventing him from folowing
unless he pushed me, too. Austin looked for a second as if
he meant to try it, but didn't.
'I have a folder ful of paperwork that says otherwise,' I
told him.
'Okay, so not officialy. But you can't tel me—'
'I can tel you anything I want, so long as it's true,' I shot back.
'Can you tel me it's true that you don't miss me, too? Not
